Solar heater



F. E. BANNER SOLAR HEATER Novt 6, i923.

Filed sept. a, 1921 l Patented Novc 6, i223 onTTan sTaTas FREDERICK E. BANNER, F WILLOWS, CALHORNEA.

SOLAR HEATER.

Application led September 3, 1921. Serial No. 498,243.

To all whomA it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. DAN- Nnn, a citizen-of the United States, and a resident of WVillows, county of Glenn, State of California, have invented a new and useful Solar Heater, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to heating apparatus designed to utilize heat from sun rays.

It is an object of the present invention .to provide a solar heater of extreme simplicity and low cost of construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide a solar heater of substantially immovable parts and of rigidity of construction and which can be readily installed in a -convenient location to derive heat from the suns rays, as for the heating of water.

It is another object of the invention to provide a solar heater in which there is a substantially unitary device forming' the principal heat receiving element and which is constructed of simple parts arranged and connected for the efiicient absorption of heat from the suns rays. 1n this connection, another object is to provide a conductor of simple construction and inexpensive material, the conductor consisting of a tubular coil of such nature that a 'suitable number of the coils can be compactly arranged upon a heat absorbing barrier and closely connected thereto for the efficient transfer of heat from the barrier to the conducting tubes.

The invention possesses 'other objects and features of advantage, someof which, with the foregoing, will be made manifest in the following description of the preferred form of the invention, which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment shown by the said draw- -ings and description, as variations may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete heater.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the hea-ting unit ar ranged upon its mounting; the transparent cover plate being removed.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view from top to bottom of the complete heater.

The solar heater of the present invention consists essentially of a preferably plane sheet metal or other heat absorbing plate to form a direct barrier when exposed to the suns rays so that it will absorb a considerable degree of the solar heat and for the exchange of the heat from the sun, from the plate to a fluid, such for instance as water. There is associated with the plate `or barrier a plurality o f passageways of comparatively small transverse area with respect to the length of the passageway so that the uid therein will be readily heated by conductivity of theflheat from the 'intercepting barrier.

Such'passageways may be conveniently and inexpensively provided by the utilization of a small tubular conductor of any desired length, the conductor beingarranged in any `suitable number of transversely extending coils. Preferably, each conductor consists of a number of coils and a plurality Dof the conductors are arranged so that the longitudinal stretches of each' coil are parallel to a similar stretch of a contiguous coil, the

stretches all'preferably *being arranged inA comparatively close relation so as to occupy closely the area of the upper and lower sides of the primary intercepting barrier. rThe ends of the coils at one end of the barrier are fitted with inlet connections and at the other end of the barrier with discharge connections, which connections may be readily connected to manifolds for supplying and conveying away the fluid heated in the heater.

In its preferred embodiment the heater includes a primary barrier member preferably of heavy sheet metal, as indicated at 2, which may be of any suitable dimensions according to the capacity desired. The conducting means of the heater preferably consists of a large number of conduits closely associated with the barrier 2, so that the heat absorbed thereby can be readily transmitted to the conduits and to the Huid therein. An inexpensive form of construction to secure conduction of the fluid consists of comparatively small tubing intimately secured to the barrier 2 so that, not only the direct heat rays impinging upon the exposed tubing are absorbed, but also the heat .absorbed by the barrier 2 is quickly transferred to the conduit means and to the fluidftherein; the

vconduit means being preferably closely arranged in any practicable manner.

A preferred form of eonduit'consists of a suitable number of pieces of small tubing, each piece being here shown as bent into a number of bends or coils, the tubing piece 3, in the present instance, having five lon 'tudinal stretches, as clearly indicated in ig.

till

2. e lowermost coil 3 has one stretch a,

secured upon the top tace of the barrier 2 and one end of the, stretch a, is bent at b.,V

around the plate 2, thence inclining in another stretch c, underneath the back of the barrier and by another bend d, around the opposite edge of the barrier into a further stretch e, across the top face of the barrier and returning again underneath, as at f, and nally across the top of the barrier, as at g. Each straight stretch of the coil 3 is secured to the top and bottom faces respectively, of the barrier plate 2, as by soldering, for instance, so as to provide eective exchange of heat from the body of the platel 2 to the material of the tubing 3, and thence to the fluid therein.'

, the upper en sv 3" of the coils. it will be seen that theheating unit proper,

ile one heating pipe or tubing'l piece,

'3 may be utilized and may have any suitl intake ends 3 of the set'of coils and for the ready disehar of the heated Water from From this consists of the heat intercepting barrier' 2, with the conducting means having passageways which are closely arranged upon both faces of the plate 2.

To eliminate loss by radiation, the baclr` of the unit 2 3 is preferably heavil coated with 'a non-conducting` material, suc as asbestos paint or other desirable substance and v'the top or face of the heating unit is preferably provided with a black coating because -of its propertyl of absorbing heat rays.

The heating unit proper is adapted to be arranged in any suitable manner, but preferably is enclosed inl a substantially air-tight casing Aor box having a .bach or bottom 5, preferablyof wood, havingits inner face provided with a layer of insulating material,

bottom or back 5 is preferably, of somewhat larger area than the heating unit, whose lower end has thel terminals Sla-of the coils connected to an inlet manifold 4, while the discharge ends of the heating coils are connetted .to a discharge manllold 4, which ferably lies Within the side edges of the.

l coructed it bottom 5. 'The casing is'preferably closed by a sash 6 to enclose the-heating unit in a enantially air-tight chamber. The box` is to vbe substantially weather proof to-prevent rainwater from beating in, 1n such cases where the solar heater is ar. ranged in e we sition.

' maracas tions ofthe conduite. p y

f bevi a main barri ln the event that the barrier plate 2 is flexible, the unit structure may be substantially re-enforced by providing a suitable number of fastening strips or cleats 8 havin their lower edges notched to receive the tu ing of the coils 3; the re-enforcing and fastening strips 8 being bolted or otherwise secured, as at 9, from to .to bottom of the barrier plate 2, and pre erably at locations just within bends of the several coils whi h are therefore secured in place additionally to the soldering connection.

ll have found by actual use of the heater, that water may be raised to from 120 to 140 Fahrenheit, this being the-case when a compratively small size heater was emplo e n a heater having exterior -dimensions of about forty-seveninches by fifty-two inches, the depth would be about four and one-half inches and the heatingcoil or tube would be about three-eighths of an inch, outside diameter;` it is understood that these dimensions are given only for an example, since the a desire dimensions.

What is claimed is:

1.v ln a solar heater, a heating unit come4 prising a barrier and a plurality of conduits in intimate contact with the front and paratus may be constructed of any rear surfaces of said barrier whereby to'l absorb heat by direct lray conta@ and byA exchange from /said barrier.

2. ln a solar heater, al rising a flat barrier, a pluralltyl of conuits wound around said barrier in intimate heating unit comlos ing a front panel of transparent material, a

flat plate barrier in the casing with its sur-` face disposed substantiallyparallel tosaid transparent panel, and a conduit -wound around said barrier in intimate ntact withr l both surfaces thereof `to absorbheat by diamer.

4. A solar heater comprising a casing havingo a front panel `of translucent material, a dat plate barrier in the casing dis .en with one surface .suntially parallel to the said front panel, a pluralit of conduits tortuously -wound around said timate contact with the surfaces' thereof, common inlet and discharge connections' for said conduits, the front surface ofsaid rier and the adjacent portions of the conduits being blackened to absorb heat, and' a layer of heat insulating material at the :t o said barrier.- plate and the adjacent pory5. SOIN err.:

rect rayV contact and by exchangerom the as a sheet of asos 5, disposed above b which isA the insulated back of the unit. The.

bar-

and conduits, of comparatively small diameter, extending along the barrier in close relation to absorb heat by direct ray contact and by exchange from the barrier; the conduits each consisting of a zig-Zac coil with inlet and discharge terminals, eaci coil having portions in intimate Contact with the front and rear surfaces of the plate.l

6. A solar heater having a main barrier and conduits, of comparatively small diameter, extendino along the barrier in close relation' to absoxb heat by direct ray contact and by exchange from the barrier; the conduits each consisting of a zig-zag coil with inlet and discharge terminals, each coil having portions in intimate contact with the front and rear surfaces of the plate, and all the coils beginning at one corner and ending at the diagonally opposite corner of the unit.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERCK E. BANNER 

